


Give Me Forever

by JourneysBeginning



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Cute Ending, F/M, Fluffy Ending, Hurt Steve Rogers, Insecure Bucky Barnes, Obsessed Reader - Freeform, One Shot, Reader-Insert, Unrequited Love, cute bucky
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-11
Updated: 2016-09-11
Packaged: 2018-08-14 13:38:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8016076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JourneysBeginning/pseuds/JourneysBeginning
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Avengers are back at the Compound after a long day. Y/N notices that one particular member of the team is missing from the celebration. With a little help from Steve, she goes off to find the missing member, Bucky Barnes. </p><p>While she has had feelings for him for a while now, Y/N hasn't found the nerve to tell him. Not until now.</p><p>***<br/>She wants to be pressed up against him again, holding onto him as if he was her lifeline because, god, it felt right. </p><p>Let me kiss you again. Please.<br/>***</p>
            </blockquote>





	Give Me Forever

**Author's Note:**

> Wow, hi! c: 
> 
> I'm surprised by how many people have read my last fic (if you haven't, I do suggest you check it out)! 
> 
> This is another one-shot, which was supposed to be based on Spirits by The Strumbellas, but was led astray. ;3; I'm sorry it's so short. I don't have a beta reader, so all mistakes are on me.
> 
> I have more stuff coming up, though they may be delayed by school work. (They will have several chapters, rather than just one.)

"You should get in there and put Tony in his place." Steve leans on the kitchen island next to Y/N, a teasing smile tilting his lips as he nods to Tony, who's downing another shot of vodka. The Avengers are gathered by the leather L-shaped couch in front of the TV, betting on who could chug down the most alcohol. They're celebrating the success of a mission today. Just hours earlier, they had saved the lives of 20 000 civilians by preventing the destruction of a downtown area in Detroit. It was a decent victory and a good excuse for Tony to finish off a few bottle of vintage wines —and a few other things— from his mini-bar.

"We both know I'd outdrink Stark any day of the week." Her words come out less playfully than she intends them to. "It's hardly fair." She's nursing a bottle of beer. Y/N tilts her head back and takes a sip, savouring the bitterness on her tongue. Her eyes sweep across the living room for a third time, then to the doorway, expecting a certain someone to walk through. Disappointment sinks in her stomach once again. There was one Avenger missing. The only one she was interested in celebrating with at the moment, if she was being honest.

"Hey." Steve nudges her gently with his elbow. She lifts her head, masking her emotions with a raised brow. "I... I don't know if he'd like company at the moment..." he hesitates, but when his blue eyes meet hers, his next words come out decisively, "Bucky's on the roof."

Shock and mortification colour her cheeks a light pink. She can feel the back of her neck prickle with heat. Yes, Y/N has liked Bucky Barnes since he came to the compound five months ago, but she had never advertised it. None of the other Avengers had a clue —she was very sure of it— so how did Steven Grant "Purity" Rogers know? "Wh-what?" Her voice cracks and she winces at her lack of composure.

"You've been looking for him since he disappeared an hour ago, when we got back." Was it just her or did she see a hint of disappointment in his eyes? The blond super soldier walks over to Tony's mini-bar and pulls out two glasses and a bottle of amber liquid. He comes back, handing it to her gently. "He used to like whiskey back in the day."

Y/N's gaze flickers over the glass bottle, then she looks back up at him, confusion in her gaze. Something akin to excitement nudges away the embarrassment, though if only by a little. "How did you know I..? When did you..?"

"About three months ago. You aren't as hard to read as you think you are." Another smile. He tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, his touch light as his finger brushes her ear.

"Don't tell Nat," she mutters, looking over at the group. They were still very much into their game and none of the Avengers have looked over yet. "Or Clint. Or Wanda. Or—"

"Or anyone else?" He laughs softly, his blue eyes glimmering with kindness and amusement. "It's our secret. Just the three of us."

"You'll tell Bucky?" Her voice was tinted with worry and anxiety.

She was just about ready to beg him not to when Steve says, "No, of course not. I won't get involved in.. what happens. Tell him when you're ready."

A smile lights up her face. "Thank you, Steve." She stands on her tiptoes and presses a kiss to his cheek before turning away and heading to the elevator. She steps in, pressing the penthouse button. Y/N finds the ascent far too slow for her liking, but at the same time, wishes for it to be slower. She needs a moment to pull herself together. Her heart is thumping against her ribcage in anticipation. Perhaps she would finally tell him how she felt?

The metal doors slide open soundlessly and she heads to the exit at the left corridor. Y/N opens the door to the rooftop. The dimly lit rooftop terrace was overdone, just like everything else at the compound. There were beautiful white leather couches with a glass coffee table set in the centre of the rooftop. She bites her bottom lip when she sees a silhouette sitting at the edge of the rooftop, far off into the dark corner, arms propped back to support his weight as he gazes at the sky.

Bucky.

She must have spoken aloud; he turns his head, tensing. The light catches his face and she can just make out his neutral expression. When he sees Y/N, a small grin touches his lips and he visibly relaxes. Bucky pushes a strand of hair out of his dark eyes. "Not celebrating?" he questions, his low voice resembling a rough purr.

"Thought I'd bring some of the party up to you." She raises the glasses and bottles as a way of gesturing, then makes her way over. She sits next to him, pouring out two glasses and handing one to him.

"Don't tell me you'd miss out on a drinking contest just for me, doll." He winks at her, his grin widening, the sly bastard. He had taken to teasing her often, just to get a reaction.

He gets the reaction: she can barely look at him without blushing. "Can't win all the drinking contests. It isn't good for Stark's ego," she mumbles. Steve had said that Bucky had been a ladies' man back in the 40s and, when the ex-soldier showed up, Y/N was wondering if her friend had overexaggerated. Two months in, she learned that Steve had not exaggerated at all. He might have even underestimated Bucky's ability to flirt.

"Or is losing bad for yours?" Just as she's about to swat him for his comment, he takes a swig of his drink. Bucky blinks, then looks at the glass in surprise. "Whiskey?"

"Steve said you had a taste for it." She takes a sip of her own, feeling warmth settle in the lows of her stomach as she gazes out to the city. The skyline is beautiful, blanketed by the endless dark sky. "Keep teasing me and you'll be sitting up here alone, Barnes," she warns playfully with a smirk in his direction.

"Can't have that now, can we?" His tongue darts out to wet his lips, his eyes meeting hers. Bucky's smile softens and she feels her heart stutter. Y/N watches him settle his glass down and gaze up at the sky. It's silent for a few minutes. When he speaks again, his voice takes on a wistful tone. "I haven't had whiskey in ages."

"Is it good as you remember?" she questions, wondering where this was leading to. She had never heard him speak as if he longed for the past.

"It tastes different. Everything's different. Maybe things have changed drastically, maybe just a little, but everything's different." Bucky's eyes meet hers for a moment. "Never used to have all these city lights in the 40s. You could see millions of stars on a clear night. Makes you think about how much can really change in several decades."

"Do you ever miss it?" she prods gently, "The 40s, I mean?"

"All the time." He averts his eyes. When he was pushed, she noticed that Bucky tended to shut down and block out all emotion. Everything was too fresh, too painful, perhaps. He was more sensitive than most people knew, but Y/N had began to tear down the wall he had built. Brick by brick, he was slowly unravelling before her, revealing a broken soul behind the protective shield. And she desperately wished to help.

"Well..." she hesitates, bites her bottom lip, then raises her glass. "Here's to the past. To old-fashioned ways and the innocence of people."

His gaze moves to her, then the glass. He lifts his own and clinks them together, a start of a smile tilting up the corners of his lips. "To the future. To changes and brilliant minds."

They both drink to it. Y/N downs her whiskey and places her glass down, shivering when a particularly chilly breezy blows past. "I always loved September, but I can't say the same about the cold weather it brings."

Bucky shrugs off his leather jacket and rests it on her shoulders gently. "Why's that, doll?"

She blinks, glancing at the jacket, then up at him. It's warm from his body heat, much too large for her frame. She can smell his familiar scent on it: leather, cologne, and a vaguely woodsy scent. "Bucky..?"

"Can't accuse me of not being a gentleman." He's smiling now, the corners of his eyes crinkling. It illuminates his face. A smiling Bucky could light up the night for Y/N and at the moment, she's sure that Bucky is positively glowing. "What's so good about September?"

"I love autumn." She gazes up at the sky. Bucky was right: there wasn't a single star in the clear sky. The brightness of the moon and city lights had all but drowned out the pinpricks of light. "The leaves turn beautiful shades of red and orange. The air is crisp and clean and ready for a new start. The daylight is shorter and long, clear nights like these last for ages. It's beautiful."

He gazes down at her fondly, leaning in subconsciously. Y/N's eyes drift down to his lips and she can imagine moving forward to— her gaze moves away. She can feel her cheeks start to heat up again as she thinks of her lack of self control, then wonders if Bucky noticed. As an agent, she was nearly always in control of her emotions. That was, until Bucky Barnes came along and ruined it.

"I remember when Steve and I first got into trouble." Y/N looks up at him in surprise, but doesn't comment. Was he making an attempt to push aside that awkward moment? Or was it only awkward in her mind? "We were only sixteen, I think. It was on a nice autumn night like this. Clear skies, just a little breezy." Bucky takes a breath, his words continuing as calmly as ever, "He had picked a fight with a couple of people at school during lunch. They were disrespecting the flag and he just had to step in. Used to forget how small he was, how many problems he had. He obviously didn't care how big they were, either, the punk." He gives a soft, fond chuckle. "Teachers broke it up before anything got serious, but we all got detention for it. Headed home late into the evening. The two guys found us as we headed home and thought it'd be fun to give us some trouble."

"And?"

"Well, let's say they never picked on Steve again." He laughs. "They were being asses, so I had to give 'em a good kicking." Bucky's smile fades as he sobers. "One of 'em ending being a real good guy to me when we were in the army. He was part of the 107th, too."

She takes his hand, gives it a light squeeze to stop him. Y/N senses they were about to delve into deeper territory that he wasn't ready to handle yet and she isn't into a rush to hear all of his stories. Some part of her is still reeling from shock. Bucky didn't share memories often with people who weren't Steve. This was the first time he had given her a piece of his past and it meant more to her than he knew. "Thanks for sharing with me, Buck."

He squeezes back, entwining their fingers. His hand is warm and rough, calloused from years of wielding weapons. "You've been good to me these past months, Y/N. Don't know how I would've coped with everything without you, doll. Thank you."

"Why do you call me 'doll?'" She raises a brow at him, trying hard not to let on how much his words affected her. Warmth colours her cheeks and the back of her neck prickles. Instead, she focuses on the nickname; nearly a month after he moved in, Bucky had taken to calling her 'doll.' After googling the word, she understood his nickname, which dated back to the 30s and 40s, but wondered why he only used it for her when it was often used generally in the case of women. She knew she was reading too much into it, but she needed to know.

Bucky opens his mouth for a moment, closes it. "Because." The word comes out roughly. He runs his free hand through his hair, pushing it out of his eyes, as if to buy himself some time. Their hands are still clasped together tightly.

"Because?" she eggs him on with a grin. He's beginning to look a little flustered now, avoiding her eyes. Was he _blushing_? "What, cat got your tongue?"

"You're a real punk sometimes," he growls playfully, turning to face her. He is definitely blushing, though it's difficult to tell in the darkness. "Doll is just a nickname."

Her brows raise. "Really?" Her voice lilts up innocently. She lets go of his hand, clasps hers together on her lap. "Steve tells me you used to be a ladies' man back in the 40s. Says you used to call girls you flirted with 'doll,'" she adds. She was aware that Steve would probably kill her for bringing him up in their conversation, but she would deal with that later. Much, much later.

He looks astonished, though murder flickers in his eyes. Oh, man, did she owe Steve big time. "Did he now?" he asks, though his voice has dropped to a rumble that raises goosebumps on Y/N's skin. "Alright, Sherlock, what've you figured from that?"

Y/N blinks at him, then down at his lips. It's now or never. She lifts a hand, rests it on his cheek. Stubble brushes her palm, prickling her. She hears him inhale deeply. Her eyes move up to his, then she leans in and kisses him softly.

Bucky's arm wraps around her waist slowly, drawing her in close. The kiss is gentle and sweet. He takes his time to taste her and she does the same, enjoying the feel of his lips against hers. His tongue sweeps her mouth, feeling and familiarizing, as he deepens the kiss. He tastes like spirits and night air and she's getting drunk off of him.

She slows down the kiss, pulls away just enough to look him in the eyes. She rests her forehead against his as he brushes a strand of hair out of her face. His other arm is still pulling her against him snuggly. They're both breathing more heavily than usual.

He brushes his lips against hers lightly. His lust-filled eyes, dark and amused, seem to glitter. "Well done," he says quietly, his voice gritty. The sound has her swallowing hard. "You've solved the mystery."

"Jerk," Y/N laughs breathily, but she's on a high at the moment. She's still reeling at what just happened. She wants to be pressed up against him again, holding onto him as if he was her lifeline because, _god_ , it felt right. _Let me kiss you again. Please._ "Not bad for someone who hasn't practiced for 70 years."

"Jerk," he mimics with a chuckle. The sound melts her heart. He scratches the back of his neck, looking down for a moment. "We've gone about this the wrong way," he mumbles, sounding a bit regretful.

And she's drawing away slowly now, confused. Did she hear him correctly? She feels hurt start to bloom in her chest. "Wh-what do you mean?"

"No, no." He pulls her back gently but firmly, handling her with the care of a lover. "I just meant that I had wanted to take you out on a date first," he amends. "I... honestly, I didn't know when. But I've been meaning to ask you out."

"Why didn't you, then?" She pouts, but is feeling much more relieved. So whatever this was wasn't going to end before it started. And that's all she was asking for.

"You're cute when you're upset." Bucky's smile is meant to charm. When she doesn't budge, he sighs. "I wasn't sure if you would say yes," he confesses quietly. "I mean, I'm a mess as it is—"

She covers his mouth with a hand. "Don't you dare." Y/N looks at him, silent for a moment, searching his eyes. He was worried she wouldn't say yes? Such a simple, human insecurity? She speaks again, her voice tender, but commanding. "Ask me out. Right now. Put yourself on the line."

He removes her hand slowly, a brow quirked. Bucky kisses the back of her hand, his gaze never leaving hers. "Y/N, would you like to go out with me tomorrow night?"

"Yes." She swears she can feel the cliché butterflies in her stomach. This man would be her downfall someday, she knows it, but she would worry about that when the time comes.

"And the night after that?" He's watching her expectantly, the corners of his lips twitching. He looks amused, daring her to say no.

A blink. He was already thinking about their next date? "Of course."

"And after that?" He's grinning now, like a child at a confectionary shop. It was no winter smile.

She laughs. "For as long as you like."

"Good." He cups her cheek, draws her close. His lips are a breath away, eyes sparkling. "Because I'll be taking you out for as long as you'd like."

"Give me forever and we'll negotiate later." And she's kissing him again.

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave a kudos/comment if you liked it? :*


End file.
